Memorial Day a balancing act in tourist-magnet Santa Cruz County

Daytime beaches closures remain in place

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A fisherman at the Santa Cruz Wharf wears a mask, adhering to county coronavirus regulations, while he gets ready to check his line. A sign also informs visitors that public restrooms at the wharf are closed and serves as a reminder on how to flatten the COVID-19 curve. (Melissa Murphy -- Santa Cruz Sentinel)

Cowell Beach in Santa Cruz was relatively empty Saturday afternoon. The beaches in Santa Cruz County are closed from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily except for accessing the water for activities such as surfing and swimming. Even though it's Memorial Day weekend, an unofficial start to summer, Santa Cruz County officials urged people to stay home due to the coronavirus and shelter-in-place orders. (Melissa Murphy -- Santa Cruz Sentinel)

A family enjoys a parking lot picnic Saturday afternoon at the Santa Cruz Wharf where cars have been restricted from parking. Santa Cruz County beaches are closed from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily and when open outside of those hours, the county advises the beaches are only for outdoor exercise and not for activities such as picnics and sunbathing. (Melissa Murphy -- Santa Cruz Sentinel)

SANTA CRUZ — Monday’s Memorial Day marks the country’s first federal holiday since the coronavirus pandemic broke out in the United States, and the unofficial start of summer has left local officials scrambling to maintain shelter-in-place restrictions.

Even while California begins to loosen its COVID-19 health order restrictions statewide, Santa Cruz County is extending its limited lock-down of its beaches during the heaviest tourist traffic hours each day, increasing the pressure on an area typically known for being tourism-friendly. This holiday’s approach, however, was lessened from a weeklong lockdown on all parks, open spaces and beaches — including surfing — countywide set for last month’s Easter holiday.

Government officials on Friday reminded the public that the 3-week-old public beach closures from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. will continue through the holiday weekend and beyond. Even when local beaches are open, it is for active recreation only, rather than entertainment of the sunbathing and barbecuing variety, officials said. Water sports are not being restricted, however.

The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office announced plans to increase the weekend’s deputy patrols around area beaches.

“We are seeing many visitors from the Bay Area, Central Valley and Sacramento area coming to the beaches with the interpretation they are open for leisure, but they are not,” Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Ashley Keehn said.

The effort to maintain existing safety protocols come amidst a dwindling tolerance from the public. However, the Santa Cruz County Public Health Division has launched recent investigations into four separate clusters of COVID-19 cases in the South County involving family gatherings, county spokesman Jason Hoppin said Friday in a release.

Over the last week, the number of Santa Cruz County residents who have tested positive for COVID-19 increased 20 percent, a development which coincides with a lowering of restrictions on state and local
shelter-in-place orders, Hoppin said. As of Thursday, Santa Cruz County had recorded 186 cases of the coronavirus, with 29 people hospitalized with the disease and two killed. Some 6,791 people also tested negative for COVID-19, and 128 formerly ill patients have recovered.

Active protest

Meanwhile, a local citizens group is continuing to protest the beach closures, gathering more than 1,000 community signatures on a petition to bolster its argument. The group, the Committee to Reopen Santa Cruz to Save Lives, gathered at Cowell Beach for at least the past two Fridays. On May 15, more than three dozen participants purposely trekked out onto the beach in the hours before the 5 p.m. curfew lifted, standing in close groups without masks, sitting on towels and urging passersby to join them by bullhorn. While Santa Cruz police officers and police rangers arrived shortly after in the Cowell’s parking lot and later approached the scofflaws during their protest, there were no citations or arrests last week, said police department spokeswoman Joyce Blaschke.

“We would hope people consider public health and follow the orders that have been in place since March. On the other hand, people have the right to express themselves. Officers and rangers are not encountering any significant issues with people; we educate them and ask them to comply voluntarily,” Santa Cruz Police Department spokeswoman Joyce Blaschke said in an email.

Under current law, violating the Santa Cruz County Health Officer’s shelter-in-place order is a misdemeanor-level offense, punishable with potential jail time and fines.

On Tuesday, the Santa Cruz City Council will consider a proposal to create a lesser-crime designation for those violating the county’s and state’s health orders.

“Our office has been in contact with the (Santa Cruz Police Department,) and we are in agreement that the best way to enforce the various COVID-19 related public health orders is to create an infraction offense, applicable within city limits, for violating these orders,” Deputy City Attorney Cassie Bronson wrote in a report to the council.

Infraction offenses are less serious than misdemeanor charges, usually handled quickly in traffic court without the assistance of attorneys, and its recipients cannot go to jail for an infraction violation alone, according to Bronson.

Holiday alternatives

Santa Cruz City Manager Martín Bernal, in a weekly emailed city newsletter, recommended alternative ways to recognize Memorial Day in ways that protect health and safety.

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“Memorial Day is a day to commemorate veterans who have made the ultimate sacrifice. It is also traditionally a time of celebration with family and friends,” Bernal wrote. “As we continue our efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19, it is important that each of us remain focused on all the right steps to keep us all safe — that includes celebrating at home and continuing to follow social distancing guidance this weekend.”

In a city-produced promotional video, Santa Cruz Parks and Recreation Director Tony Elliot referred the community to the city’s virtual recreation website, at santacruzparksandrec.com for a listing of parks and open spaces for residents to explore, also recommending the public patronize local restaurants for take-out food options.

“Memorial Day is a day to recognize service and sacrifice. I encourage you to consider ways you can give back this weekend,” Elliot said, suggesting the public engage with nonprofit community partners.